It is no secret (eg see first post) that mice carry harmful organisms. But where is the epidemiological evidence that house mice actually cause human disease? Bats, cats and rats infect humans, but mice apparently do not in practice.
Please have a look at the following RG links and PDF attachment.
Article Rodent-borne diseases and their risks for public health
Article New York City House Mice ( Mus musculus ) as Potential Reser...
"BY Jillian Jorgensen follow NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Tuesday, April 17, 2018, 10:00 AM
That mouse scurrying through your apartment kitchen is even ickier than you thought. New York City house mice carry bacteria that can make people sick — including gastrointestinal disease-causing bacteria like C. difficile, E. coli and Salmonella, according to two new studies from the Center for Infection and Immunity (CII) at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. “We found a whole series of bacteria that are associated with human disease,” Dr. W. Ian Lipkin, a senior author of both studies, said. “And many of these bacteria had evidence of antibiotic resistance chain.” That means, if the bacteria — found in the mouse droppings — makes a human sick, it could become tough to treat. “If you’ve got mice in your kitchen, and they’re soiling your food, that’s a way in which you can become infected,” Lipkin said. Researchers studying the bacteria collected 416 mice from residential buildings at seven sites across four boroughs of the city, over the course of the year. “This is not something that’s restricted to any one socioeconomic group, any one geographic area,” he said of the stomach-turning findings. A second study looked at viruses found in mouse droppings — finding 36, including six new viruses. None of them are known to infect humans."
I agree with you Anthony G Gordon
Thant many diseases can be transmitted by mice
"many diseases can be transmitted by mice"
I do not believe that house mice transmit human disease, but will consider any direct evidence provided.
Dear Sir,
May be Hantavirus (See the link below):
4 Diseases You Can Catch From Mice | Medicine Report
https://medicinereport.com/article/4-diseases-you-can-catch-from-mice
And who is staunchly defending their actions against all the sane and sensible people who point out that wild mice should be left outside. No really, the mice are fine! Domestic mice make lovely pets. But wild mice, like field mice, deer mice, and the house mouse, are ridiculously efficient vectors for disease. 1.
Sure These diseases can be spread to humans directly, through handling of live or dead rodents, through contact with rodent feces, urine, or saliva, and through rodent bites. Diseases carried by rodents can also be spread to humans indirectly, through fleas, ticks, or mites that have fed on an infected rodent.
https://www.pestworld.org/news-hub/pest-health-hub/health-hazards-posed-by-rodents/
"many diseases can trasmited by dometic mice"
"Sure These diseases can be spread to humans directly,"
Yes, of course they can (especially as wild mice do). The question is, do they?
Evidence please.
Mice may spread zoonotic diseases to human and sometimes plays a vital role as vector.
"Mice may spread zoonotic diseases to human"
I AM ASKING FOR EVIDENCE NOT ASSERTIONS.
Rat bite fever can be transmitted by bite of domestic mice. In other diseases mice can act as vectors.
"Rat bite fever can be transmitted by bite of domestic mice".
"The majority of cases are due to the animal's bite. It can also be transmitted through food or water contaminated with rat feces or urine. Other animals can be infected with this disease, including weasels, gerbils, and squirrels. Household pets such as dogs or cats exposed to these animals can also carry the disease and infect humans. If a person is bitten by a rodent, it is important to quickly wash and cleanse the wound area thoroughly with antiseptic solution to reduce the risk of infection. " [Wikipedia]
Comment
No mention of mice. I have been bitten by a weasel and a dog, but who gets bitten by a house mouse? You can't get anywhere near them. To repeat ad nauseam, evidence is needed, ie references to peer-reviewed journals.
We have seen people presenting (to our hospital situated in a rural area) with history of rat bite. In small poor living/dwelling conditions with residents sleeping and storage of grains in the room, is an high risk condition for rat bite.
Transmission of Rat Bite Fever (RBF) from CDC website:
There are several ways people can get RBF. The most common include:
- Bites or scratches from infected rodents (such as rats, mice, and gerbils).
- Handling rodents with the disease (even without a bite or scratch).
- Consuming food or drink contaminated with the bacteria.
RBF is not spread from one person to another.
https://www.cdc.gov/rat-bite-fever/transmission/index.html
I agree with everyone's answers which highly appreciable and gave a clear cut ideas about the mice transmitted diseases.. But tell me who breed mice at home.. Its always used as laboratory animal for experimental uses.. But in case any one breed it at home and let it mingle with stray or forest animals then it have to transmit many infections as listed by WHO or CDC..
In my reading and understanding 'domestic rats' are black rats (Rattus rattus).
In the UK rats occasionally come into houses, but are not domesticated like house mice. These are brown rats.
Rodents are carriers of a wide variety of organisms that cause diseases, including many species of bacteria, viruses, protozoa and helminths (worms). They act as vectors or reservoirs of many diseases through their ectoparasites, such as fleas, ticks, lice and mites, as well as some diseases transmitted by mosquitoes. The symptoms of rat bite fever are different depending on the bacteria that caused it. Streptobacillus: From 3 to 10 days after being infected there are symptoms that can vary between fever, vomiting, muscle pain, headache, joint pain, rash, among others. Spirillum: From 7 to 21 after being infected, symptoms such as fever, ulcers in the bite, inflammation around the bite, inflammation of the lymph nodes, rash, etc. appear. In addition, complications can occur, including: Heart infections Meningitis (brain infection) Pneumonia (infection of the lungs) Cysts in internal organs
Hantavirus There are many species of rodents that can be carriers of hantaviruses, especially voles and mice. People can get the disease through contact with rodent urine, saliva and feces, either by direct contact, contaminated food or drink, and by breathing aerosolized particles. They can also be contaminated with leptospira, causing leptospirosis.
Surely.Mice is mice only,may be domestic but character remains same.
"Mice is mice only, may be domestic but character remains same"
"Rodents are carriers of a wide variety of organisms that cause diseases,"
The organisms which humans contain or have developed immunity to are surely different after humans developed agriculture, became sedentary and had close contact with domesticated animals. Likewise, surely the disease profile of wild and domesticated mice has considerably diverged?
Among other agents as mentioned above (Hantavirus, Leptospira interrogans etc.) mice indirectly contribute to the spread of infections, as they may harbour ticks which transmit Borrelia and viruses (FSMEV, RSSEV and others).
"mice indirectly contribute to the spread of infections"
I am still eagerly awaiting any evidence that domestic mice spread diseases to humans. In fact, I now conclude they do not, as people have had plenty of time to give evidence for this.
Sorry, may be I do not understand you correctly. Like reduvial bugs, e.g., in South America spread Chagas disease via their feces which are rubbed into the bit channel the bug produce, mice are also vectors of diseases. In West Africa, the Lassa virus is transmitted through excretions of domestic rodents.
Mice may be vectors of typhoid feve and partatyphus, salmonelly, tularaemia and others.
It is me again, I have checked the literature.
Yes, leptospirosis can be transmitted through the bite of a domestic mouse.
"Mice may be vectors of typhoid feve and partatyphus, salmonelly, tularaemia and others."
There may well be cases of rare tropical diseases spread by house mice. This question was prompted by reports of enormous fines on UK restaurants where mice droppings had been found. Had I been the lawyer for these restaurant owners, I would have challenged the authorities to produce evidence that these were an actual (not theoretical) disease risk. I would have been confident of winning my case!.
This is the best WHO could come up with as to disease from domestic mice, ie a potential, not actual, threat:
"12.4.1. Zoonoses of rats
Commensal rodents have been associated with a variety of zoonoses. This is of particular concern because of their close association with people. Over the last 10 centuries, ratborne diseases may have taken more lives than all of the wars ever fought (Nowak, 1999)...
12.4.2. Zoonoses of mice
Typically, mice have been seen merely as a nuisance, because of the spoilage of foodstuffs and the damage they cause in homes. Mice do, however, carry several zoonotic agents and should be treated as a potential threat to public health. As warm-blooded mammals, they have the potential to carry ectoparasites into a home and unwittingly assist in the dissemination of murine typhus and rickettsial pox; however, house mice are known to transmit lymphocytic choriomeningitis (Lehmann-Grube, 1975; Buchmeier et al., 1980). Although lymphocytic choriomeningitis is not usually a serious threat to healthy individuals, this viral disease causes severe illness in immunocompromised people and can cause severe birth defects when contracted during pregnancy (Fischer et al., 2006; Amman et al., 2007). Also, Williams and colleagues (2005) reported finding T. gondii in house mice at a prevalence of 58.5%; results from this study, in Manchester, England, indicated that of 200 mice, 4 tested positive for Cryptosporidium spp., and 2 tested positive for Chlamydia spp. Recent studies have found that house mice also carry the mouse mammary tumour virus. This virus may be linked to breast cancer in people (Stewart et al., 2000; Indik et al., 2005).
12.4.3. Other health concerns"
Public Health significance of Urban Pests WHO 2008.
Comment
Why this vast difference between rats and mice?
Please have a look at the following RG links and PDF attachment.
Article Rodent-borne diseases and their risks for public health
Article New York City House Mice ( Mus musculus ) as Potential Reser...
Yes, of course, rodents such as mice and ratts are considered as vectors and spreaders of some pathogens and diseases such as Plague, TB, Toxoplasma, Typhoid fever and Anthrax.
Rodents can spread pathogens to humans, e.g., by biting them or because
humans consume food products or water that is contaminated with rodent feces. Moreover, humans can come in contact with surface water that is contaminated with rodent urine (e.g., leptospirosis) or we breathe in germs that are present in rodent excrements (e.g., hanta-viruses).
"Yes of course"
I am well aware that people think that domestic mice are an actual threat to human health. But then everyone thought ulcers were caused by stress. I asked for epidemiological evidence.
Yes, domestic mice and rodents can spread serious diseases such as Histoplasmia, Plague, Anthrax, Tuberculosis, Scab and Toxoplasma.
"Yes, domestic mice and rodents can spread serious diseases such as Histoplasmia, Plague, Anthrax, Tuberculosis, Scab and Toxoplasma."
I asked for (epidemiological) evidence.
